kick over the traces
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Break loose from restraint, misbehave. For example, There's always one child who'll kick over the traces as soon as the bell rings. This metaphoric expression alludes to the straps attaching a horse to a vehicle, which the animal sometimes gets a leg over in order to kick more freely and thereby refuse to move forward. [Mid-1800s]
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Words nearby kick over the traces
kick it, kickoff, kick on, kick oneself, kick out, kick over the traces, kick plate, kick pleat, kickshaw, kicksorter, kickstand
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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